Ecobee adds Google Assistant support to its smart thermostats

Ecobee makes some of our favorite smart thermostats, and today those thermostats are getting a little more capable with the addition of support for the Google Assistant. The Ecobee3, Ecobee3 Lite, and Ecobee4 can now all be controlled from the Google Home or any other device that supports the Google Assistant. That means you’ll be able to use voice to set or check the temperature, or nudge in it one direction or the other with a phrase like “OK Google, make my home warmer.”

These aren’t the first thermostats to add Google Assistant support. Honeywell added Google Assistant support to several of its own smart thermostats back in August, and of course, Alphabet-owned Nest integrates its thermostats with the Assistant as well. Still, the more the better — it means more options for buyers and less of a hassle if you try to switch systems.

Ecobee has been good about integrating with smart home systems, too. It already supports services like SmartThings and IFTTT, and the Ecobee4 even has Alexa built in, so you can treat it a bit like an Echo Dot. The addition of Google Assistant support won’t change that — you can’t ask the Ecobee4 to Google something — but it means that Ecobee4 owners who have an Android phone will have one more way to control their home temperature.